1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for recovering pollutants spilled on the water or on the ground, as for example hydrocarbons in the sea or on the beaches.
2. Discussion of Background
To recover pollutants only on water, the document EP-A-0 005 411 describes a device whose characteristic is to separate decantation vats carried by a boat from an apparatus called a "skimming apparatus."
Such a skimming apparatus comprises a compartment with a weir adapted to receive the matter to be recovered and an emptying system of said compartment, while the weir forms or comprises at least one clean float at least partially immersed in the recovery compartment, said weir already being known and referred to as "floating weir."
When the skimming apparatus has substantial dimensions, or if the latter is affixed to a support of the storage tank, of the boat or barge type, for example, which is absolutely necessary if the emptying device is of the paddle belt type, such an apparatus is not very sensitive to the agitations or waves (such as swell or lap) of the water plane, which is a major disadvantage since there is then no consequent adaptation of the floating-weir.
FR-A-2,200,859 furthermore describes a device adapted to absorb the movement of the waves.